South Dakota Wildflowers Paint the Prairie

The first year Jim and I were married

there were several blizzards

that left my little teal 4-door Geo metro buried

and our house surrounded by snow drifts

so deep that I did not use

the stairs of my deck nor see my yard fence

for 3 months.

Instead, I walked over the fence straight onto my deck

on snow.

Then, for the first 12 years of living here on the ranch

we had a drought.

Summers were a dreadful brown.

In fact, in the summer of 2006,

we were afraid of any storm cloud.

Because clouds meant lightning

not rain.

All of my life, I had been taught

to stay away from hilltops

when there was lightning.

That year, night storms

meant Jim would get up and sit on a hilltop

watching for the glow of a fire.

Day storms

would be a time for Ann & me

to gather up our four kids

and sit on a hilltop watching for smoke.

Ready to call our husbands

away from another fire if lightning struck

close to home.

That summer the Black Hills were burning

and the prairie was burning too.

My parents evacuated their house in the Black Hills

and we moved several neighbors out of their homes

because the flames were headed toward their house

Here on the prairie.

Weather went from extreme blizzards

at the start of our marriage

to a drought that drifted into dry winters.

So dry that our kids would take plastic sleds

and slide down brown grass and cactus covered hillsides.

Sledding winter, spring, summer, fall on dry ground.

I had no idea then

that the prairie could be

so beautiful.

I had no idea

that wildflower seeds lay dormant

waiting to explode in color

and paint the prairie.

Photos & text 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

~ Artistic Mother Poetry ~

Erin is 3.

She teaches me

To find delight

In the little things.

When she was a baby

I remember

Watching her look at the leaves

Blowing in the wind on the tree.

And wondering

What it was like to see leaves on a tree

For the first time.

At three years, like all three year olds,

She sees and celebrates dandelions.

"Oh, there's MORE dandelions!"

"Let's go PICK 'em!"

After picking all she could find, she asks,

"When will they turn white

So we can blow the little things?"

"We have to wait for them to turn white."  I say.

So she lays down in the grass.

And says, "Ok, let's wait."

At last on Mother's Day,

I record her words in my poetry journal from my Artistic Mother project Week 2.

To make it easier to read, I will type it here ~

"Oh look!  White flowers!

I will go get some and blow them

and the little things will go

everywhere.

And I will laugh!"

So she did.

And she came back with dandelion seeds in her hair.

And she said,

"Mommy, take mine socks off.

You take yours socks off

and come down in the grass

and it will tickle yours feet!"

So I did.

{Mothers Day 2010.}

Photos & text copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

Fourth of July ~ From Flowers to Fireworks Finale

Fourth of July, 2010

FLOWERS everywhere.

Fistfulls of daisies

Flower Fairy.

Fragrance

Flags & Food

Family

Fun.

Face Painting.

Fireworks.

Finale.

Photos & text copyright 2010.  Jodene (Jodi) Shaw

{I could create a post a day for a week from the 4th of July photos! 

But I decided to Fill it up like the day was Filled up with all of those things. . .

flowers, family, fun, food, fairies, fireworks, face painting, friends . . . fufilling.}

Hope you had a happy Independence Day!

Artistic Mother Project & Baby Blankets

Fabric Photos

~for upcoming projects~

Baby blankets

I love taking pictures

of the fabric

more than the sewing.

But the sewing machine

is growing on me.

I have been hung up at "Week 3"

in The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole

but I finally got the fabric for the tote.

Now I am ready to go!

Will post finished products soon!

Have a great Thursday!

copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw